How do you clean the original mirror glass?

Keep moisture away from the frame edges. Water seeping behind the glass will damage the old silvering and create permanent dark spots. Use a lightly damp microfibre cloth on the centre of the pane. Wipe it dry immediately with a clean cloth.

I have an old Edwardian unit with brass handles that have gone dark and green, should I polish them back to bright metal?

Most dealers prefer to leave old brass alone. That dark patina builds up over decades of use and handling, which many buyers look for. Stripping it back to yellow metal can make an antique look harsh and out of place. If the green oxidation is actively powdery, you can gently wipe it with a dry cloth. Otherwise, leaving the tarnished handles exactly as they are is the standard approach for antique Edwardian dressing tables.

Can the mirror be detached for transport?

Yes, the mirror section usually comes off. You will often find wooden screws or metal bolts holding the vertical supports to the back of the main carcase. Removing these bolts allows the entire top gallery and glass to lift away in one piece. This makes moving the base much easier and protects the fragile pivot joints from stress. Keep the bolts in a labelled bag. Finding replacement threads with matching Edwardian imperial measurements is often difficult.

The drawers in the one I just bought are sticking badly and screeching when I try to pull them out to put clothes away.

Wooden drawers swell and shrink with changes in domestic heating. If the piece has recently moved into a warm room, the timber might take a few weeks to settle. Pull the drawer all the way out and check the running edges underneath. Rubbing a simple block of plain paraffin wax along the wooden runners and the bottom edges of the drawer sides will usually solve the friction. Never force a stuck drawer. You risk snapping the timber handles or pulling the front joints apart.

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Antique Edwardian Dressing Tables

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Antique Edwardian dressing tables are freestanding bedroom units incorporating a central swinging mirror flanked by small drawers for cosmetics, set above a main surface with larger drawers below for storing folded clothes.